Nicaragua Nicaraguita

This will be my last post



I've been back in the United States, Boston specifically, for about a two weeks now.
I've spent time with friends, said hellos and goodbyes, and explored the city.

There isn't much more to say now. I've said so much about Nicaragua and will continue to spread the word about the beautiful country, the overlooked treasure . It's like having a constant toothache, the way i miss my second home.

I have dreams of going back and it feels so incredibly surreal to be here in the United States after months of being away.

Mostly I look forward to the future. I have a great job that will start soon, and am sharing an apartment in a beautiful Boston neighborhood for the summer with my school year roommate and wonderful friend.

But I will never forget how I felt in Latin America.

And I will never stop searching for the blissful feeling I had while I was abroad,
nor will I forget the joy of traveling and seeing the world.

This is only the beginning of my adventure

Feeling renewed, I am just about to take flight

I don't know what the future holds, but it has never been more clear what kind of life I know I have to live

Argentina, Venezuela, Russia, Australia, Panama, Belize, Portugal, Eritrea
I know now all I want to do is see as much of the world as I can
I can only hope that some of what I wrote has made you feel that passion as well

Friends

I have less than a week left in this beautiful country
Thankfully things seem to be coming together for the summer: I've found an affordable apartment in a nice area of Boston, have a few job interviews coming up, and am looking forward to traveling in the US

My last day of class is tomorrow. One final exam marks the end of my junior year of college

time flies

If I had written a new post everyday, I'm sure I could have communicated even more of what I've seen, but for me that is like taking a million pictures during any great experience. Some things simply have to be enjoyed.

I did however, want to take time and talk about a few people that have made my experience here amazing.

My host family:
Doña Marina and Don Antonio have been the best host parents, more than I had hoped for. I've never had a day where I haven't felt completely welcome here. Doña Marina, a fantastic cook, loves to read my magazines. Mind you I only brought one copy of Details and GQ (I seldom read woman's mags), but it amused her to try to figure out the stories only by looking at the pictures. "Look how skinny these girls are" she would exclaim, whenever a fancy fashion or beer ad would graze the pages.

Don Antonio (who's accent I still have trouble understanding) is a teacher at UCA. His teaching extended far outside the classroom however. Everyday he had some new fact: the names of different types of mangoes, the leading tennis players in the world, whatever you could think of. It was exciting to see someone speak with such passion and genuine love of new things.

Maete I didn't see very often. Our schedules never quite coincided. While I was in school she was at home and vice versa. However, she had a love of American music as many kids her age here do. I had a lot of fun explaining the lyrics of everything from Lady Gaga's Poker Face to Rihanna's Disturbia. She almost always believed the lyrics meant something other than they really did and was thrilled she could tell her friends the real deal.

Baby Emily has grown so much. When I came here she was barely talking and only crawling. After nearly four months she is on the brink of walking soon and brings life and energy to the house more than ever.

Friends:
My three greatest friends here Roberto, Fernanda, and Gretchen have been amazing. I always thought that I'd know my Spanish would be coming along when I could understand and make jokes. Roberto made me feel sure of that, making some not so fun classes bearable and always having great plans for the weekends. He has big dreams of being a journalist, and although his English isn't perfect he's got a great chance of doing well in the US as he is moving to San Francisco soon.

Fernanda is in a category of her own. She somehow manages to put at least one "Viva Mexico" into any given conversation and is an absolute riot. She inspired me to take more risks in the future. She was scheduled to leave Nicaragua at the end of this semester but instead has decided to stay an additional 6 months. She received a ton of backlash from her friends and family back at home but says she is doing what she feels is right.

Gretchen has been my partner in crime. The fact that she is the only other US student here is not the only reason we instantly bonded, it's because we share many of the same views on life. We both have dreams of working internationally and are very spontaneous, artistic people. It was truly fortunate that we both wound up here in this same program. It would not have been the same without her.

I know it will be different when I return home but I’ve realized anywhere you go it’s your friends, the people that you connect with, that make your experience. I feel this summer will be a good one because of all the great people I'll have around me.

There is a lot that I will miss about being here, but it is the connections I’ve made with people that I will definitely miss the most.

Nostalgia

I promised myself I'd write more since it's so close to the end
this of course has been a hard task as finals are around the corner, and spending as much time with friends as possible is all I want to do

When I first began the blog, I didn't think much of it
I am just a girl who likes to write, who likes to see her thoughts and ideas on paper, ready for anyone to see
Writing this has sometimes been a bit stressful. I'm always left to wonder if the passion I have for what I'm saying is truly experienced by the reader or if it appears only as written words

well the passion is real

Studying abroad is a life changing experience

That exact phrase was repeated over and over again at my pre-study abroad orientation. 'Study abroad changed my life" At the time of course I thought it was a bit ridiculous. The old naive me, never having had the opportunity to truly conceptualize the lives of others in the world, thought of studying abroad as just fun. you meet people, learn a new language, and go to school.

of course all of these things happen, but there is an indefinite amount of learning that occurs outside of the classroom as well

just having the opportunity to see, to observe a new culture is enough. I have literally seen things I've never seen before. The simple sounds, sights, and smells of the city have made an impression on me. The way people interact with one another, the programs on television, the jokes and local sayings, all of this was a complete eye-opener

Sometimes being an English speaking westerner can be a bit of a hindrance. My reason for coming to this country was questioned but even more often my desire to learn another language fluently. "Why learn another language, the whole world speaks English" a friend once told me. I think there is a bit of truth to that. When I went to Costa Rica the people were so accustomed to tourists they did not give me a chance to speak Spanish, but instead spoke English right away. Here in Nicaragua English is the favorite foreign language class to take.

however

On my travels I met a girl from an island off the coast of Venezuela. She spoke Dutch, English, Spanish, her island's native language, and French. I could not help but be amazed (and slightly jealous) at her ability to speak all of these languages perfectly. I couldn't help but think, why wouldn't you want to have that beautiful ability to relate and communicate with so many people.

***

The other day one of my all time favorite movies The Motorcycle Diaries was on TV. The movie chronicles the early days of Che Guevara as he travels with a friend through Latin America. In the movie he is changed by the world, discovering the poverty and pain of the people of Latin America. Now I certainly don't plan to take Che Guevara’s path, but I can understand the beauty, and incredible feeling of exhilaration that comes from finally getting a chance to see a part of the world.

I talked to my friend Natasha who is studying abroad in the Dominican Republic and returns to the US the same day I do. We talked about the extremely different sayings and slang that are used in our respective countries, laughing and sharing stories. "We say que lo que here to say what's up,” she told me, continuing to detail her life in the Caribbean. We plan to meet up in New York and find a laid back spot that plays Latin music and serves traditional dishes. We now how this new experience to share.

***
My favorite line in the Motorcycle Diaries is the following: "Como es posible que eche en falta una civilacion que ni tan siquiera he conocido" which means "How is it possible to feel nostalgia for a world I never knew?"

I felt nostalgia for Nicaragua from the moment arrived here. I think it's absolutely possible to have more than one home.

Wide-eyed

Costa Rica
was beautiful in many ways-San Jose was gorgeous (but cold), i met some wonderful people in hostels, and enjoyed my birthday on the beach, watching the sun set before celebrating with Gretchen and new found friends in the evening.
it was expensive though, by expensive i mean non-Nicaraguan prices of course
and traveling from city to city was an arduous process
however

i had the chance to see the rain forest.

this was a completely thrilling experience

do you remember when you were a kid and watched those cool science shows, like let's say Bill Nye the Science Guy?
remember that sense of excitement, of being wowed?
well that's how I felt as I learned about the amazing ways in which the world is crafted
I signed up for the 3 in 1 rain forest tour. this included riding on a boat down the river, a short hike, lunch, and an aerial tram through the depths of the forest

it was absolutely beautiful. I saw monkeys, birds, iguanas, frogs and all sorts of animals in their natural habitats, this beats going to the zoo any day

on the aerial tram ride we moved through the three layers of the forest

if everyone got a chance to smell how fresh the air was there, there would be no question as to why saving the environment is so important

it was like breathing water, that's the best way i can describe it

but in Costa Rica I felt like a tourist. I felt as if Nicaragua was my home and I was just visiting for a while. but of course the United States is my home and I'm visiting Nicaragua as well

so this is when reality sets in

I have three weeks left

a completely unbelievable idea

I also have a very real fear
that when I return back to the US, somehow I will forget all that I've seen and all that I've felt

I've heard the horror stories of those who have traveled, stepped out of their comfort zones, explored the world outside of New Hampshire, New Jersey or whatever state they may reside in and returned to their home towns, all that they know, and seamlessly fallen back into the bubble

i don't want that
i want to continue to feel changed and renewed

these last weeks i'm walking through this country with eyes wide open
hoping to record everything that i see,
making an indelible impression in my mind's eye
i want to remain changed
i want a new me to return home

on the road

quick note
I will be updating soon
on my way to costa rica in a few hours for vacaction (semana santa)
Costa Rica is supposed to be beautiful
in a few long hours, I will be able to give a first hand account of all that I see

La Costa Atlántica

My mother is coming tomorrow
I've got every place we will go planned
She'll be here barely a week so I want to make every day count

Of my family here:
Don Antonio (the husband of my host mother Marina who had previously been away in Spain) is a fascinating person to watch. His Spanish is incredibly difficult for me to understand; nevertheless, we manage to have a few conversations about what is going on in the world.

Baby Emily lights up the house. The energy of everyone is emboldened by her always cheerful presence. She literally is always smiling.

My little sister Maete I rarely see. While I'm at home she is at school and I leave the house to travel almost every weekend. This weekend was a rare exception. I decided to stay at home, eat lunch with her, and shoot the breeze. For that reason, on Saturday I met more family members: Janet’s two teenage daughters. I cannot remember their names only that they were 18 and 19 years old and that our conversation showed me how much I still have to learn about this country.

As we conversed in general we inevitable began to discuss poverty. I told what I had seen here in Managua: young children begging in the streets, the metal shacks, the old folk sleeping on the sidewalk. The 19 year old looked at me, shook her head and said,"claro, pero La Costa Atlántica es peor."

The Atlantic Coast is a part of Nicaragua that is very different culturally. The majority of the residents are black also called Afro-Nicaraguans and speak English Creole. The land there is much harder to work, there are fewer schools, and it rains nearly ten months out of the year.

She talks about the cyclical nature of the poverty there, the lack of good universities like those of Managua and Leon. She tells me about the young girls who bear children at the age of nine and ten.

This is the hardest thing to hear. "What if their health is in danger?" I cannot help but ask. It doesn't matter. All forms of abortion are illegal here in Nicaragua. If you become pregnant young or by rape it doesn't make a difference. You literally will go to jail if you attempt to have the procedure.

This I find hard to swallow, so I ask her if it has always been this way. The lack of abortion even if the mother’s life is in danger.

"Ortega" she simply says, glaring.

There is political turmoil here as it is in many parts of Latin America. Daniel Ortega is the current president of Nicaragua. During my stay here there have been protests against him, as the public believes he cheated his way into office. Although abortion has been illegal here for a long time, it was Ortega who supported the move to make emergency abortions punishable by a six-year prison term.

***

I used to be incredibly pessimistic about the state of the world. I would constantly say to myself, nothing we do is going to produce wide spread change; everything will always be how it will be. People will always be cruel and hurt one another.

I’ve begun to realize it doesn’t matter if that is true or not. I think of how much I value my own life and how even if I can’t help every single person in the world whoever I can help will be all the better off. That one life would be better. For that person the world would be different.

Learning about the situations of those young girls, who are in even harsher conditions than what I have seen here truly moved something in me. I know that if I had been born in different place or time my life could have easily been theirs.

For those who are fortunate there is more that can be done than just being thankful.
At least for me I feel my purpose is becoming clearer by the day.

home

So as I've said close to a million times by now
time is flying
this has become more apparent of course as I look for a summer job in the US
the economy
that's all I have to say about that

everything has been going well, i haven't hit too many bumps in the road yet

however

there are three wonderful things that are about to happen:
1. my mother is coming to visit me in less than 10 days
2. I'm traveling to the beautiful country of Costa Rica for spring break
3. i will turn the wonderfully youthful, exciting, revolutionary age of 21 while in Costa Rica

what is the greatest of the three?
my mom coming of course, which seems incredibly cheesy I'm sure
but it's true

the entire time I've been here I can't think of one time I have legitimately missed and wanted to return to the United States. All I can think of is how much I want to stay here and see every country in latin america. This fact I took as a sign that I am strong enough and have spirit to be a backpacking, adventurous traveler when I get the chance, or rather when I make the chance for myself

despite this overwhelming feeling of freedom, I have never stopped missing my family and friends. It's quite a different feeling being so far away from home. the way you miss someone is entirely different when you know you're not a hop and skip away

not that my hometown of Detroit and Boston are close together, but somehow knowing you reside in the same country, watch the same shows, can go eat at some of the same places maintains a sense of comfort

but here I am in another world
and now a huge part of the world I know is entering the world I'm in now

i imagine my mom's visit will be like reliving my first days here. my first meal, first view of the city, first bus ride through the country

all relived for me, through my mother's eyes

i cannot wait

my home is coming to me

The good and the bad

first off i apologize for the hiatus
honestly i've been caught up in fervor that is Nica
but alas I am alive and kicking

in the past few weeks I've visited many cities and islands in Nicaragua every weekend. Ometepe a beautiful island, created by a volcano, the beautiful city of Granada (again and again), Laguna de Apoyo, and other places. There are tons of volcanos here. Gretchen and I went to Mombacho, a volcano near the city of Granada. It was an interesting experience to say the least.

Here's how it went

We took a bus to Granada (an hour and a half ride). From Granada the only way to the volcano is by cab. When we finally found a cab with a decent price (here there are no meters you just bargain) we took a half hour ride to a rest stop near the volcano. When we arrived we were informed that the next bus going to the viewing point for the volcano would leave in an hour which meant we had time to kill in the middle of nowhere. We walked around aimlessly and eventually found a little coffee place. Time flew by and before we knew it we were in danger of missing the bus. We hustled back to the rest stop, barely making it.

Then there was the bus ride. 45 minutes on an unpaved road. At first it feels like you're on a rollercoaster which isn't so bad, but then it starts to feel like well..... you're driving on an unpaved road.

Then there was the rain. Two scattered down pours. Soaked from head to foot. Here, there is a rainy season that starts in May, so usally the rain takes its time and shows up halfway through the year. But every once in awhile nature surprises you.

Here was the other surprise. The frigid cold. Of course cold is relative, but the higher up you go the cooler and cleaner the air. I admit I should have expected that, but it's hard to think about bringing a jacket and wearing long pants when you're in 90 degree weather everyday.

And finally the view of the volcano. Or rather the lack there of. The rain and cool air left a stark white fog that obscured the view. You could not see a single thing. It was a strange sensation actually, knowing that this massive part of nature was there, but completely invisible.

We waited another hour for the bus back the warmth of Granada.
Road another 45 minutes and made our slow journey back to the city of Managua.

So it was a trying experience. It's terribly cliche but you need the good and the bad . How else could I appreciate the absolutely perfect days I have here. One thing though. Nextime i'll check the weather report.

Y la musica de los Estados Unidos

I've been convinced
Nicaragua is not in central time. Instead it's in its own unique time zone in which hours are minutes, and minutes are seconds
This has to be true
How else can I explain how five weeks have flown by?
Everyday I continue to be amazed at the fact that I am living in this country.
It really does feel like a dream.

Part of living here as a college student is of course experiencing the night life. Much time has passed since I first have gone out dancing here, but I thought it was important to mention a key thing.

American music is alive and well in this country.

Maybe this is obvious. I knew before coming here that the United States influence is present here but it is quite a different thing when you're out with friends, in Spanish speaking country listening to Brittney Spears and Christina Aguilera for the majority of the night.

But the presence of American Music has lead to funny situations. If you're fluent in English you never really notice how much slang and exaggerated phrases are built into the language. Phrases we use all the time "That sucks", "I'm starving", "He's a coach potato" do not make any sense if you don't have a full grasp of the language. Music of course, especially pop and hip-hop is littered with these types of phrases. So I have to admit it's been really funny explaining what a "man-eater" is and what "she hit the floor" means to friends.

But there is still that longing for latin music.

Since more weeks have passed I have found the elusive nighttime spots that play the rhythms of this country. Just yesterday I saw an amazing performance from a Nicaraguan band. It was those nights that I had the best times.

So I say long live merengue, bachata, palo de mayo, cumbia, salsa, all the music that really makes me feel connected to Latin America.

Once you feel, I mean really feel the music of Latin America, you will keep on dancing and never look back.

The Old Managua

we hand wash all of our clothes

at first I found this peculiar, not because it's something that I don't have the ability to do or haven't done before, but because I live in a house with internet and cable

so why isn't there a washing machine?

there are three reasons for this,

one. the water supply here is limited. I haven't gotten a full understanding of how the system works here, mostly because it's a difficult conversation to try to have in Spanish. What I do know however, is that the last time I tried to take a shower and there was no water we went outside, climbed up a little ladder, and opened the lid of a tank full of water to check the level. After seeing there was plenty of water we followed the hose that streamed the water only to find it was wound very tightly. After unwinding the hose the water flowed freely again. The likelihood of a full blown washer working on this system is very slim

two. the beautiful weather. Line drying here is a a 30 second process. In the city of Managua as well as other parts of the country the weather is extremely hot everyday. Temperatures fall between 90 and 95 degrees daily (that's 32 and 37 degrees for our good ole centigrade users i.e. the entire world) The heat is something you get accustomed to, even fall in love with if your here more than a week. Everyday is a comfortable, sunny day.

three. the opportunity to converse. My host mother Marina has a sister Janet who comes a few times a week to help out cooking and cleaning the house. When I first met her she was very quiet. She would go about her chores around the house with swift silence, but when I looked at her I knew she had plenty to say.

My opportunity to truly speak to her came during a Wednesday. She came to my room and said "Disculpame muchacha, vos tenes algo para lavar?" It took me a moment to realize she was asking to wash my clothes. Of course this was not going to happen. I picked up all of my clothes and went outside to learn the system here in Nica.

It's a pretty efficient process that she can do twice as fast as I can. Basically it involves running water, a lot of different barrels, pre soaking, the works. During that time however, I had the chance to get to know her. She talked about her children, how much she loved her country. Mostly she told me about the Old Managua. A huge part of the history of this city was the earthquake of 1972. 90 percent of Managua was destroyed. After that the road to recovery was bleak. Skyscrapers no longer exist here and the construction of the roads that mostly are nameless, the layout of the city, the poverty that exists, is evidence that there was a great tragedy here.

But even with the tragedy, the city loves you. Everything about it is so completely welcoming.

"Habria adorada la cuidad vieja. Fue hermosa" she said, clearly reminiscing about the beauty of the lost Managua.

"Todavia es hermosa" I said. There was the slightest grin. Then she wrung the wet clothes and hung them up to dry.

It's a big world

This weekend was wonderful

Gretchen and I made it all the way to the beautiful beach town of San Juan del Sur. San Juan del Sur is popular tourist spot in Nicaragua. Most university students travel there during la Semana Santa (holy week and vacation week as well). However I figured why wait? My goal is to see as much of this country as possible. Two other exchange students from Austria live in the town with a host family of their own. Since I hadn't seen much of them (San Juan is over two hours away from Managua), I figured the weekend would be a great time to get to know each other.

This was when I realized that the world is much bigger than Nicaragua and the United States. This may seem obvious but when you study in a country, sometimes your focus stays on the country you are exploring and your homeland. For weeks I have had to explain my origin (Soy de los Estados Unidos) and in turn I would ask whoever I was meeting "Eres nicarguense? Donde vives?" In my mind Nicaragua and the US were the two countries that existed.

This of course is not true and everything was illuminated during my stay in San Juan.

During my weekend I had ample time to converse with people from Germany, Austria and Canada. Can you imagine transitioning into a country where you do not know the main language? But also imagine this, there is a secondary language that is spoken in the country but you don't know that language well either. That is the reality for Stephan and Gunter, students from Austria.

Like a host of other countries in the world, the US has a tremendous influence in Nicaragua (that alone could be a whole post of its own) Part of that influence of course is the presence of English. Although the majority of people only speak Spanish, if someone does know a bit of another language, it's always English.

Having the opportunity to speak with Stephan and Gunther opened a new perspective for me. As we ate traditional Austrian food with the entire family in San Juan del Sur (including six little children, the grandmother of the family, and her daughters as well) I realized that if they could thrive and learn the culture here than I certainly could as well.

Language of course is extremely powerful. It's the means by which we as human beings express ourselves to one another. But there are so many ways in which we can communicate with each other even if language is obscure. When I watched the kids adoringly embrace Stephan as he handed out plates of food for dinner I knew that communication has much more depth then we care to think about. He spoke German to them asking them to sit down to eat, they replied in Spanish, saying thanks and asking more more food. Here they are speaking two different languages and yet the bond between them is undeniable.

It's a big world

part of studying abroad is gaining insight into the culture in which you are immersed
the other part of studying abroad is realizing the world is so much bigger than you care to imagine
and that even with the presence of all the cultures that exist, there is always that ability, if you so desire, to find common ground

Spanglish doesn't fly

School officially started on Monday
when i told my friends back in the US they were immediately jealous
"So you've been bumming around this whole time!" No not exactly. I've been taking Spanish prep courses and getting acclimated to a completely new environment, which of course at times has been hard, but also amazing

However a small Spanish prep class is nothing compared to full blown literature and history in another language

quickly, i learned Spanglish does not fly

I was making it through my classes for the day. History wasn't half bad. Hispanic American Literature was alright. But then I got to Introduction to Literature, a class that I believed would be interesting. How are the fundamental concepts of literature taught in a different country? However I was mistaken when I believed that because it was an intro class I could breeze through and remain an innocent bystander in the classroom. Instead I was asked to creatively introduce myself and give my own definition of the meaning of literature. In Spanish.

The class was patient with me however, as I tried my best to mentally translate my ideas from English to Spanish. Every now and then I would mistakenly say a word in English only to receive a little glare from my teacher. This glare was the "sorry bud your not in Kansas anymore, rev up the Spanish"

In a way its a good thing
Why should I be accommodated because I don't fully know the language of the country?
It's my job to adjust to the culture here not for it to adjust to me.

So in my daily life I've made some changes. No more watching TV in English. Talk more extensively with all the members of my family even though its difficult. Try desperately not to speak English to the other exchange students here (this is by far the hardest).

It's tough. But when my spanglish goes from spanglish to spanish
it'll all be worth it

La ensalada

as time goes on and I get to know the people more, my experience is even better
there is this feeling that is so completely surreal about being here, everyday I wake up I have to tell myself again "I'm in Nicaragua" and a wave of happiness, an electric feel charges through my body

this weekend was great, one of my first adventures far outside of Managua

here in the country of Nicaragua there is much natural beauty, beaches, rain forests, and islands
this weekend my friend Gretchen and I made pilgrimage to the beach of Pochomil

my Spanish teacher here that prepped me before classes with everyone began, gave me simple directions: walk to the bus stop across from UCA (Universidad Centroamericana) Take the 120 bus to Mercado Israel, walk to the back of the market, look for the bus that says Pochomil

These seemed like simple directions but our trip proved to be much more complicated. The first difficulty was finding the 120 bus. Here the term bus stop is used loosely. It's more like you stand on the side of the road, buses drive by at random times, the driver's assistant hangs out the car yelling the destination, and you hop on, mostly while the bus is moving. It sounds crazy but it is completely normal here. After finally finding the bus we were dropped in a the center of Mercado Israel.

My teacher described the market as fairly easy to navigate. This of course was not true. The market was huge. Not as large as Mercado Oriental but just as jam packed with people. The two of us stuck out like sore thumbs, thus the amount of people running towards us to sell us goods was certainly far greater than the average traveler. We wandered around, asking various people for directions which they gave willing, but in Spanish of course, making the process a little harder. We finally found a sign that said Pochomil. After waiting 20 minutes the bus arrived. However a lot of people apparently were trying to go to Pochomil on that Saturday. After barely making it on the bus even though we were the first ones there we began a two hour journey out of Managua.

The journey would not have been so bad if we were not standing basically the whole time. That however, I didn't mind as much as the fact we were traveling on a winding single lane road through the wilderness. The school bus, painted with the colors of the Nicaraguan flag somehow managed to navigate the rocky roads. At times literally you could look out of the bus window and see a drop off, nothing but cavernous land.

It was there, as I passed by empty fields, that I saw the lives of those who do not live in the city, the raw world of the countryside. It was the strangest thing you could imagine. Ever so often there were houses with no running water, clothes hanging on lines, old women walking with baskets on their heads full of goods, but then you would see a booth for Moviestar (one of the two-cell phone companies here) where cell phones were being sold. I wasn't sure how these two ideas co-exist out in the country, was this the influence of capitalism? In time I will fully understand.

As we rode along, people got off at different points, seemingly into the middle of no where. When we arrived at Pochomil we were the last people on the bus and were more than happy to have finally arrived.

As soon as we stepped off the bus and set foot on the beach, it all became worth it. The beach was beautiful. The huge waves of the ocean were like music. Their were people riding horses, music of the Caribbean, and delicious local foods.

But nothing here is commercial. No matter where you go you will see the real world as it exists. I think that's what makes this experience invaluable. Gretchen and I ate tostones con queso as a snack at the beach. The tostones (a sort of re-friend planton) came with a little cabbage salad as a decoration on the plate. As we prepared to leave we thought nothing of the salad and picked up our bags and towels. An old woman of a least seventy years pointed to the dish and said "Por favor muchacha, la ensalada, la ensalada" When I realized she was asking for the little pile of cabbage, I handed it to her. She took it in her hands and placed it in a little plastic bag. She pointed to the sky and said "El Senor es con ellos"

"Y contigo" I said to her. She smiled and walked away, towards the other side of the beach. "And with you" I couldn't help repeating under my breath, as I watched her disappear in the distance.

Lucha por la justicia

much has come to pass in a week I must say, I've met five other exchange students: one from Mexico, another from El Salvador, two from Austria and the last from the good ole' United States (Oregon specifically) All five are wonderful people and I look forward to beginning official classes and meeting more Nicaraguenses here in the city

though I have much to tell, specifically today I got the shock of my life. Up to this point I have seen the strict class divides present in this city. While out with friends, driving through the streets, I've have seen children as young four or five knocking at car windows for coins, offering food and goods to sell.

However, it was not until my trip to Mercado Oriental, a well-known market that I truly saw poverty in its ugliest form. On the ride towards the market we pass through one of the poorest neighborhoods. The streets are strewn with garbage, stray dogs run wild along the sidewalk. The elderly are literally sleeping on sidewalks, their heads resting on a thin mats or cloth. In the market I'm pressed from all sides with people pleading for me to buy their homemade goods. Those who do not have booths sell all kinds of foods: candies, bread, ice, water, everything. Further into the market there are more children sleeping on the ground outside. A woman with two babies in one arm and a cup in the other begs for money. Another woman pushing a young girl who is mentally disabled in a wheelchair, pushes through the crowd, a cup in hand.

Could you imagine shopping for goods here all the time? My friend asks me. For many people of Nicaragua there is no choice in the matter. The prices in the grocery store are what the rich and middle class can afford. For many the markets are their resource for their daily bread.

As I take in the sights and sounds of the market I cannot help but feel guilty. All I have to do if I'm hungry or thirsty in my hometown is walk to the store and buy food with ease, or to my refrigerator, my cafeteria, a restaurant, whatever it may be. Our place in the world is but an accident of birth. It's so easy to forget that until you see those who are less fortunate. What can you do but try to change the world around you. This experience marks the beginning of my journey on that path.

Found in Translation

So now I'm rounding about a week of living here in Nica as it affectionately called by the people here, at least the young ones. Already I am learning so much Spanish. It's strange to imagine yourself being able to truly speak another language if you haven't been taught since birth but if you have no choice, things fall into place a lot faster. Thank goodness for those natural instincts.

I am getting along well thus far. I have met some great people through my program and will meet three other exchange students this weekend. Of course there have been some shocks (cold water for showers always) and mistakes (there is a key difference between the word coger and recoger, ask a native speaker) but still I have adjusted well the country, especially the...

FOOD

I could write a whole book about how heavenly the food is so i'll save that for later, however

a great thing happened

on the morning of Tuesday the 20th, I awoke around ten and walked into the kitchen to get a drink of water. I went back to my room, showered, got dressed and began to watch the festivities on CNN. When I returned to the kitchen to get more water my sister, Maete was fixing special drinks. I asked her what they were for and she responded "la celebracion" I asked of what and she said "La toma de poseccion de Barack Obama." A bit in awe I asked, "So you are going to celebrate as well." She replied "Por supuesto, es bueno por todos." I sat with her and my host mother Marina and watched most of inauguration in Spanish. It felt good to have people around me who were excited as I was on that day. I suppose its safe to say that some things are so wonderful, so important in history that they cross language barriers.

Te sin azucar

This is my second day in Nica and already I have learned many things.
Firstly now I know how new immigrants to the United States feel when they first arrive. Let's just say I have been doing a lot of smiling and nodding because there is so much that I cannot understand yet. My host mother, Marina, a heavy set bright eyed older woman has been very understanding. She tells me her husband is away on business in Spain and that he should be back soon. I meet her son as well who is in his late twenties and has the cutest daughter imaginable: 7 month old Emily who giggles and smiles at me when I first meet her.

Then there is Maete, my little sister who is at the tender age of fourteen. She tells me about life as a teenager here. Everything from the music that is played here (bachata, merengue, salsa, and the infamous reggaeton) to the coolest clothes. When I first meet her I have on a fitted T-shirt and a long skirt. I figure it's better to be conservative than sorry. She asks me if I always dress so formally and tells me that I should wear "mini faldas" or mini skirts instead. So it's a bit more liberal than I thought, but for now I think I will stick to my guns.

I have seen several parts of the country already. Catalina which is beautiful. It's a giant volcano and touristy site. Today I am going to Granada which according to my sister is the most beautiful place in the country. I have also seen the incredible poverty here. There are beautiful houses like the one I live in. Surrounded by flowers and trees. Then there are the places where people literally live in wooden and metal shacks. Selling goods on the sides of the streets. The class divide is painfully apparent.

This morning I had a light breakfast. Bread with pineapple jam and fruit. I ask for tea and Marina brings me a piping hot cup of black tea. I ask for sugar and she says "tengo algún si quieres, pero siempre tenemos té sin azúcar" (i have sugar if you want but we always have tea without it" I decide not to have any sugar with my tea. When in Rome do as the Romans do.

Tres dias

I haven't left yet.
I'm in my hometown of Detroit, Michigan awaiting my departure on Friday, January 16th.
There's a lot of last minute running around. Mostly trips to CVS and Target, picking up sunscreen and bug spray, hair combs, and toothpaste. Long phone conversations with family and friends. Now the jitters have officially kicked in. I just got back from my first trip to California. I saw Pasadena and many different parts of the city of Los Angeles with my best friends and roommates. There was Spanish everywhere. The street signs, the ads, the music. That taste of the west coast made me even more nervous and excited for my journey that is to come.

Of course I've read the horror stories about the possible dangers.

In fact I see them everyday. Whenever I tell someone I'm studying abroad in Central America there's a look of surprise followed by a "Be careful out there!" then followed by a "We'll I'm sure you will have a great time." I'm hoping both will happen. That I will be careful and have the time of my life.

For now Nicaragua is a dream, an idea that exists only in my imagination.
Soon it will be my reality.
I can almost feel myself stepping off of the plane and into a world I've never seen before.
I'm nervous, but I am so ready.